IMMIGRANT(ACCOMPANIMENT(PROJECT(Long%Island%

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Best(Practices(for(Accompanying(Immigrants(to(Long(Island(Courts(!

A!Handbook!for!Advocates!

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A!Collaborative!Project!

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Contents(( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (((((((((((((

(Accompanying(Project(Background( ( ( ( ( ( (((((((( ( 3((What(is(Accompaniment?( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( 3((Why(Accompany( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( 3((Best(Practices(for(Witnesses( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( 4((Witness(record(Sheet(for(Long(Island(Proceedings( ( ( ( ( ( 6((Accompanying(Undocumented(Immigrants(to(Long(Island(Courts( ( ( ( 7L12((Suffolk(County(Traffic(Court((( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

• Suffolk!Traffic!Court!–!History!and!Mission! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!• Suffolk!Traffic!Court!–!The!Stakes!for!Undocumented!Immigrants!• Accompanying!Undocumented!Immigrants!to!SC!Traffic!Court!–!Best!Practices!!!!!!!!

!!!!!Suffolk(County(Family(Court(

• Family!Court,!Guardianship!and!Deportation!–!A!Case!Study! ! ! !• Family!Court!and!Juvenile!Protected!Status! ! ! ! !• Accompanying!Undocumented!Immigrants!to!Family!Court!–!Best!Practices(((((((((( (

((((((Long(Island(Criminal(Court( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((((((((((((

• Undocumented!Immigrants!and!the!Biases!in!the!U.S.!Criminal!Justice!System!!!!!!!!• The!Trump!executive!Orders,!“Chargeable”!Criminal!Offenses!and!Deportation!!!!!!!• Plea!Bargaining!and!Deportation!• Accompanying!Undocumented!Immigrants!to!Criminal!Court!–!Best!Practices!!!!!!!!!!

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ACCOMPANIMENT(PROJECT(BACKGROUND(!Throughout!2016!Long%Island%Jobs%with%Justice%(LIJWJ)!sponsored!a!series!of!trainings!and!forums!that!prepared!Long!Islanders!to!help!undocumented!immigrants!facing!deportation.!We!hosted!knowUyourUrights!trainings!for!agencies!that!serve!immigrants.!In!partnership!with!the!New%Sanctuary%Coalition%of%New%York%City,!LIJWJ%offered!five!accompaniment!trainings!to!prepare!what!became!a!group!of!63!Long!Island!volunteers!who!agreed!to!serve!as!“Witnesses”!accompanying!undocumented!immigrant!“Friends”!to!their!immigration!court!hearings!at!Federal!Plaza!in!New!York!City.!Since!President!Donald!Trump’s!executive!orders!of!January!25th!

that!allow!for!the!deportation!of!undocumented!immigrants!charged!(not!necessarily!convicted)!with!even!minor!offenses!such!as!a!traffic!misdemeanor,!this!project!has!taken!on!special!urgency.!!!!Now!LIJWJ!is!expanding!the!Accompaniment!Project!so!that!Witnesses(can(accompany(undocumented(immigrant(Friends(to(Long(Island(legal(venues!such!as!family,!traffic!or!criminal!courts!where!Trump’s!executive!orders!can!escalate!a!charge!for!a!minor!infraction!into!a!deportation.!The(New$Sanctuary$Coalition$of$New$York$will(coordinate(the(Federal(Plaza(immigration(court(accompaniments.(LIJWJ(will(coordinate(Long(Island(court(accompaniments.((

WHAT(IS(ACCOMPANIMENT?((

Accompaniment(is(first(and(foremost(an(act(of(love(and(solidarity.!It!is!a!strategy!through!which!individuals!(Witnesses)!provide!physical!and!moral!support!to!immigrant!Friends!appearing!in!court!and!fearing!the!possibility!of!deportation.!Through!accompaniment,!Witnesses!provide!their!presence!not!only!to!create!a!safer!space!for!immigrant!Friends,!but!also!as!a!security!measure!to!deter!deportation.!In!the!event!that!we!are!unable!to!prevent!deportation,!the!witnessing!and!reporting!done!by!accompaniers!serves!to!alert!our!Friends’!family!and!the!community!at!large.!As!a!Witness,!your!presence!alone!is!making!a!statement!to!court!judges!and!the!Department!of!Homeland!Security!that!you!will!hold!them!accountable!for!any!injustice!committed!against!an!immigrant!Friend.!!

WHY(ACCOMPANY?((

Immigration!courts!as!well!as!local!courts!where!immigration!status!is!a!factor!are!sometimes!stacked!against!undocumented!immigrants.!Very!often,!they!cannot!afford!or!obtain!legal!counsel.!Through!first!hand!experience,!we!know!that!when!community!accompanies!immigrant!Friends!to!court!proceedings,!they!are!treated!better!and!the!outcome!of!their!case!is!more!favorable.!This!is!especially!true!when!the!Witnesses!are!clergy.!!Through!accompaniment,!we!are!able!to!build!longUterm!relationships!with!our!immigrant!Friends,!serve!as!a!faithful!witness!in!spaces!of!injustice,!and!collectively!grow!as!community!leaders!in!the!fight!for!immigrant!rights.!!!

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By!acting!as!a!Witness,!you!are!changing!the!narrative!about!immigration!and!the!invaluable!role!immigrants!play!in!our!communities,!churches!and!places!of!employment.!As!a!Witness,!you!are!making!a!public!statement!that!everyone!deserves!to!be!treated!with!dignity!and!justice.!!!

BEST(PRACTICES(FOR(WITNESSES((

Here!are!some!of!the!best!practices!for!Witnesses!when!accompanying!immigrant!Friends1!!1. Remember!boundaries!

! Witness!and!Friend!should!be!respectful!to!each!other!at!all!times!and!Witnesses!should!respect(the(space(between(the(Friend(and(his/her(lawyer!(if!there!is!a!lawyer.)!

! Witnesses!should!avoid(making(judgements!about!their!Friends.!! All!that!is!said!between!you,!your!Friend,!lawyers!and!court!officers!must!be!kept(

confidential.!! Witnesses!should!avoid(giving(legal(advice(or(counsel.!! Witnesses!should!avoid!antagonizing!or!behaving!confrontationally!with!court!

officers.!!

2. Undocumented(immigrants(are(anxious,(perhaps!very!nervous,!in!a!court!situation,!especially!since!deportation!can!be!the!outcome.!You!are!there!to!provide(friendship(and(reassurance.!Be!sensitive!to!how!much!your!Friend!wants!to!talk!or!be!quiet.!!

3. Keep!detailed!notes!of!the!process!since!you!will!provide(a(record(as(to(the(fairness(of(the(proceedings.!

!4. The!immigrant!Friend!may!speak!very!limited!English.!As!a!Witness!you!can!help(him(or(her(

navigate(the(court(system(such!as!where!to!check!in!and!other!steps!in!the!court!proceeding.(Project!coordinators!will!work!to!provide!translators!where!possible.!In!some!cases,!several!Witnesses!will!accompany!an!undocumented!immigrant!Friend.!

!5. Your!presence!is!especially!important!when(you(stand(next(to(your(Friend(while(he(or(she(

is(speaking(with(a(court(officer.!As!a!show!of!solidarity,!Witnesses!should!stand(in(the(courtroom(when(their(Friend(is(called(to(testify.!JwJ!will!provide!ribbons!to!the!Witnesses!so!they!can!be!identified!as!supporters!of!their!immigrant!Friend.!Remember,!you%are%not%there%to%provide%legal%representation%or%legal%counsel%to%the%immigrant.!!

!6. If!there!is!tension!between!your!Friend!and!a!court!officer,!stand!next!to!your!Friend!but!

behave(respectfully(toward(the(court(officer,(avoid(threats(or(aggressive(verbal(or(body(language.(Again,%Witnesses%are%not%allowed%to%address%the%judge.!

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7. If!there!is!a!confrontation,!simply!ask(the(court(officer(if(you(can(help(to(resolve(any(misunderstanding.(It!is!not!your!place!to!claim!that!an!injustice!has!been!done.!

!8. What(You(Will(Do(During(the(Accompaniment:!You!will!receive!email!notices!from!LIJWJ!

when!a!Witness!is!needed!at!a!Long!Island!court!appearance!and!from!New!Sanctuary!Coalition!of!New!York!when!a!Witness!is!needed!at!Federal!Plaza.!!

! If!you!have!contact!information,!call(your(Friend(the(night!before!the!appearance.!!Arrange!to!meet!him!or!her!at!least!30!minutes!before!the!court!appearance.(

! Request(for(your(Friend’s(family’s(contact(information!in!case!you!need!to!call!if!your!Friend!is!detained.(

! Bring!your!photo(ID.(! Bring!your!cell(phone!but!turn!it!off!during!the!court!proceeding.(! Dress(cleanly(and(neatly.(! Since!court!proceedings!can!be!long!and!tedious,!with!extended!waiting!periods,!

prepare!to!be(patient.!! Have!a!pad(and(pen(or(a(laptop!for!taking!notes!during!the!proceedings.!In(your(

notes,(be(alert(to(the(fairness(of(the(proceedings.!Do!not!take!photographs!or!make!video!recordings.!See!the!Witness!Record!Sheet!on!page!4!for!suggestions!of!what!to!watch!for!during!the!court!proceeding.!

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Witness(Record(Sheet(for(Long(Island(Court(Proceedings((

This%sheet%serves%as%a%recordkeeping%tool%for%each%Witness%to%report%or%comment%on%the%fairness%

of%the%Friend’s%treatment%during%a%Long%Island%court%proceeding.%Witnesses%can%mail%their%

completed%form%to:%Kimberly%Saget,%LI%Jobs%with%Justice,%390%Rabro%Drive,%Hauppauge,%New%York%

11788.%

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Name!of!Witness:!______________________________________________________________________________!!Name!of!Friend:!!______________________________________________________________________________!!Date!of!Court!Appearance:!______________________________________________________________________________!!Name!of!the!Court:!______________________________________________________________________________!(Describe(how(the(court(officers((Judge,(District(Attorney,(bailiff,(etc.)(behaved(toward(your(Friend.(

• Was!your!Friend!treated!fairly!throughout!the!proceeding?!!!• Were!charges!made!clear?!!Was!evidence!presented?!• Were!your!Friend’s!pointsUofUview!heard?!!• Did!your!Friend!have!legal!counsel?!• Was!your!Friend!allowed!to!respond!to!the!charges?!• Was!your!Friend!treated!politely?!!• Were!court!instructions!clear?!!• Was!there!a!court!translator!to!help!your!Friend!understand!the!proceedings?!!

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!Contacts:(

(LONG!ISLAND:!

Anita(Halasz,(Long(Island(Jobs(with(Justice(ahalasz.lijwj@gmail.com!631U348U1170,!X304!

!NEW!YORK!CITY:!

Ravi(Ragbir,(New(Sanctuary(Movement(NYC(ravi@newsanctuarync.org!Phone:!(646)!450U2770!

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Briefing(Notes(from(the(Jobs(with(Justice(Seminar(Immigrant$Deportations$and$Due$Process$on$Long$Island$

February(8,(2017((

Accompanying(Undocumented(Immigrants(to(Long(Island(Courts((

Suffolk(County(Traffic(Court(Presenter:(Irma(Solis(–(New(York(Civil(Liberties(Union(–(Suffolk(Chapter(

(Suffolk(Traffic(Court(–(History(and(Mission((The!New!York!State!Legislature!permitted!Suffolk!to!create!a!traffic!court!in!2012.!Prior!to!that,!traffic!tickets!were!processed!by!the!Suffolk!County!Department!of!Motor!Vehicles.!The!Court’s!core!mission!is!to!advance!traffic!safety!by!processing!violations!in!a!fair!and!impartial!adjudication.!Critics!have!charged!that!the!real!purpose!for!creating!the!traffic!court!was!to!increase!County!revenues.!In!fact,!the!Traffic!Court!generated!$11!million!in!its!first!year!–!2013!–!and!$48!million!each!in!the!subsequent!two!years.!Suffolk!County!Traffic!Court!has!jurisdiction!in!the!five!west!Suffolk!towns:!Brookhaven,!Islip,!Smithtown,!Babylon!and!Huntington.!The!eastern!towns!(Riverhead,!Southold,!Shelter!Island,!Southampton!and!Easthampton)!each!has!its!own!police!department.!(Suffolk(Traffic(Court:(The(Stakes(for(Undocumented(Immigrants((Since!its!first!year!of!operation!in!2013,!appearances!before!Suffolk!County!Traffic!Court!have!resulted!in!39!jailings,!which!suggest!a!strong!bias!against!immigrants:!22!Hispanics!(one!of!whom!was!turned!over!to!ICE),!5!African!Americans,!1!Asian,!1!white!!The!Suffolk!County!Police!Department!(SCPD)!was!investigated!for!discriminatory!practices!against!Hispanics!and!other!minorities,!which!was!resolved!with!an!agreement!that!the!Justice!Department!announced!in!December!2013!calling!for!“the!SCPD!to!implement!new!and!enhanced!policies!and!procedures!to!ensure!nondiscrimination!in!the!provision!of!police!services!to!Latino!communities!in!Suffolk!County.”2!!!The!most!common!infractions!that!result!in!the!Suffolk!County!Police!Department!issuing!a!ticket!are:!

• Obstruction!of!view!such!as!something!hanging!from!a!rearUview!mirror!• Broken!tail!lights!• Not!stopping!for!a!red!light!or!stop!sign!• Driving!without!a!license!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2!US!Department!of!Justice!press!release,!December!3,!2013!!!

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Immigrants!frequently!complain!that!being!stopped!for!one!violation,!such!as!a!not!stopping!at!a!red!light,!often!leads!to!multiple!tickets!such!as!a!ticket!for!a!broken!tail!light,!an!obstructed!view!or!driving!without!a!license.!Not!paying!a!ticket!on!time!could!lead!to!a!conviction!and!even!an!arrest.!!In!a!legal!opinion!by!immigration!attorney!Isaac!Wheeler,!circulated!on!January!28,!2017!by!Cheryl!Keshner!of!the!Empire!Justice!Center,!under!the!new!Trump!executive!order!on!deportations,!undocumented%immigrants%could%face%deportation%for%minor%offenses%such%as%a%

traffic%misdemeanor%such%as%speeding:!!

“Anyone!who!has!been!convicted!of!any!“criminal!offense”!(even!one!that!does!not!fall!under!a!criminal!deportation!ground!of!the!INA,!such!as!a!traffic!misdemeanor).!This!language!appears!to!apply!to!past!convictions!with!no!statute!of!limitations,!and!it!is!not!clear!yet!whether!it!applies!to!dispositions!that!a!state!or!locality!would!define!as!nonUcriminal!(such!as!N.Y.!state!violations).”3!

!Thus,!under!the!new!Trump!executive!orders,!a!seemingly!routine!Traffic!Court!appearance!has!the!potential!to!escalate!into!a!deportable!offense,!making!the!stakes!quite!high!for!undocumented!immigrants!answering!a!summons!for!something!as!innocuous!as!not!coming!to!a!full!stop!at!a!stop!sign.!!Accompanying(Undocumented(Immigrants(to(SC(Traffic(Court:(Best(Practices(!Suffolk!County!Traffic!Court!is!located!in!the!H.!Lee!Dennison!Building,!Ground!Floor,!North!Entrance,!100!Veterans!Memorial!Highway,!Hauppauge,!NY!11788.!Cases!are!heard!MondayUFriday,!9:00U10:30AM!and!2:00U3:00PM.!If!you!are!a!Witness!accompanying!an!immigrant!Friend,!know!that:!

• You!cannot!enter!the!courtroom!after!10:30!AM!or!3:00!PM.!• Your!Friend!must!bring!his/her!ticket!number!to!the!court.!• You!and!your!Friend!will!spend!time!in!a!waiting!room!before!being!called!and!also!

awaiting!the!judge’s!final!order.!• Your!Friend!has!a!right!to!an!interpreter.!Requesting!an!interpreter!may!prolong!the!

appearance!since!it!takes!time!for!the!interpreter!to!arrive.!In!addition,!after!the!interpreter!arrives,!all!SpanishUspeaking!people!are!processed!before!the!judge!as!a!group.!The!judge!however!adjudicates!each!person’s!case!separately.!

• The!Traffic!Court!Clerk!actually!acts!as!the!prosecutor!who!will!negotiate!the!fines!if!your!Friend!is!found!guilty.!These!negotiations!can!be!quite!arbitrary!and!sometimes!the!fines!can!be!very!heavy,!as!high!as!$3,000!in!rare!cases.!

• As!a!Witness,!you!cannot!approach!the!bench!or!speak!to!the!judge!but!you!can!stand!up!when!your!Friend!is!called!and!move!with!your!Friend!as!he!or!she!approaches!the!bench.!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3!Email!from!Cheryl!Keshner!citing!legal!opinion!of!Isaac!Wheeler,!January!28,!2017!

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• Remember,!you!are!not!an!attorney,!you!are!not!providing!legal!counsel,!you!are!there!as!a!Witness,!ensuring!that!your!Friend!is!treated!fairly!and!with!justice.!

All!of!the!other!best!practices!for!Witnesses!outlined!above!apply!to!Traffic!Court!appearances.!

Suffolk(County(Family(Court!Presenter:(Christopher!Worth,!Esq.!Immigration!Attorney!

!Family(Court,(Guardianship(and(Deportation(–(A(Case(Study((

Like(Traffic!Court,!Family!Court!can!become!a!highUstakes!venue!for!undocumented!immigrants.!!Consider!this!case:!In!the!Spring!of!2016,!Rural!&!Migrant!Ministry!requested!the!support!of!Long!Island!Jobs!with!Justice,!along!with!many!other!Long!Island!organizations!and!individuals,!in!an!effort!to!call!for!the!release!of!Uriel!Martinez,!a!19UyearUold!brother!of!a!Long!Island!farmworker!leader,!Boris!Martinez,!and!a!refugee!from!El!Salvador,!who!was!being!held!at!the!infamous!Stewart!Detention!Center!in!Georgia!for!attempting!to!flee!violence!in!El!Salvador.!

Uriel!faced!threats!in!El!Salvador!to!join!a!gang.!Other!members!of!his!family!who!refused!to!join!gangs!were!murdered.!The!gangs!were!especially!interested!in!Uriel!because!he!is!very!good!in!karate.!He!has!won!various!international!competitions!including!the!Caribbean!and!Central!American!games.!

While!in!detention,!Uriel!become!ill!and!was!not!provided!proper!medical!attention.!Uriel’s!brother,!Boris,!sought!legal!counsel!and!community!supports!in!his!fight!to!get!his!brother!released!and!gain!guardianship!of!him.!Rural!&!Migrant!Ministry!was!there!with!him!every!step!of!the!way.!Long!Island!Jobs!with!Justice!supported!by!accompanying!Boris!to!family!court!hearings!and!sat!as!Witnesses!to!his!and!Uriel’s!case.!Christopher!Worth,!the!brothers’!attorney,!was!initially!not!optimistic!about!how!the!judge!would!rule!in!this!case.!But,!with!the!courtroom!filled!to!capacity!with!Witnesses!–!lay!people!and!clergy!–!all!supporting!Boris’!petition!to!secure!guardianship!of!his!brother!Uriel,!the!judge!ruled!in!favor!of!the!brothers.!After!multiple!court!hearings!justice!was!served!and!Uriel!was!released!and!reunited!with!Boris!!

Family(Court(and(Juvenile(Protected(Status((The(Suffolk(County!Family!Court(judge!granted!Boris(Martinez!Juvenile!Protected!Status!of!his!brother!Uriel,!thereby!allowing!Uriel!to!avoid!deportation!and!remain!in!the!United!States.!To!secure!this!status,!the!petitioner:!

• Must!be!under!21!years!of!age;!• Must!have!been!abandoned!by!at!least!one!parent;!• Cannot!be!returned!to!his!or!her!country!of!origin!due!to!a!demonstrable!physical!

threat.!

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The!first!court!hearing!is!procedural,!with!the!petitioner’s!papers!submitted!to!the!court!and!with!the!judge!deciding!if!fingerprinting!is!needed.!The!second!hearing!can!be!difficult!for!the!petitioner!because!it!is!in!an!open!court!where!he!or!she!must!publically!testify!about!the!abandonment!that!has!led!to!his!or!her!request!for!Juvenile!Protected!Status!or!guardianship.!The!best!outcome!in!this!kind!of!situation!is!the!Family!Court!judge!granting!guardianship!to!the!petitioner,!which!can!lead!to!a!Green!Card!and!legal!status.!

Guardians!do!not!have!to!be!related!to!the!petitioner!and!do!not!have!to!reside!with!the!minor.!!The!Guardian!certifies!that!he!or!she!accepts!responsibility!for!the!minor!up!to!age!21!in!situations!such!as!medical!emergencies!or!criminal!charges.!Guardians!also!agree!to!occasional!home!visits!to!make!sure!that!the!minor!is!living!in!safe!physical!conditions.!

Accompanying(Undocumented(Immigrants(to(Family(Court(–(Best(Practices(

Attorney!Chris!Worth!stated!that!the!presence!of!Witnesses!is!very!important!at!this!stage!in!the!proceedings!to!show!community!support!for!the!petitioners.!He!noted!that!for!Witnesses,!“the!important!thing!is!that!you!be!there!and!that!you!are!watching.”!He!further!pointed!out!that!Witnesses!could!coach!the!petitioners!about!American!culture!norms.!For!example,!he!stated,!it!is!important!to!“look!the!judge!in!the!eye”!when!speaking,!even!if!the!norm!in!the!country!of!origin!considers!it!disrespectful!for!a!young!person!to!look!directly!at!an!older!person!or!an!authority!figure!when!speaking!to!that!person.!All!of!the!other!best!practices!for!Witnesses!outlined!above!apply!to!Family!Court!appearances.!

Long(Island(Criminal(Court(( Presenter:(Michelle!CalderaUKopf,!Esq.!Legal!Aid!Society!of!Suffolk!County! !!Undocumented(Immigrants(and(the(Biases(in(the(U.S.(Criminal(Justice(System((Much!has!been!written!about!how!America’s!criminal!justice!system!is!stacked!against!poor!people!and!people!of!color.!The!United!States!has!the!highest!prison!population!in!the!world,!724!prisoners!per!100,000!people.!American!prison!population!is!disproportionately!composed!of!poor!people!and!people!of!color.!U.S.!drug!laws!enacted!in!the!1980s!and!1990s!carried!stiff!sentences!for!even!minor!drug!violations,!which!weighed!heavily!on!people!and!communities!of!color!but!much!less!so!on!white!communities!and!more!affluent!people.!Today,!there!is!a!growing!bipartisan!consensus!to!enact!prison!reforms!that!would!lift!some!of!these!burdens.!In!addition,!policing!practices!have!come!under!fire!around!the!country!for!discriminating!against!poor!people!and!people!of!color.!As!noted!above,!the!Suffolk!County!Police!Department!was!subject!to!a!federal!investigation!on!charges!of!racial!bias.!!!The!racial!and!class!biases!of!the!U.S.!criminal!justice!system!create!special!problems!for!undocumented!immigrants,!especially!those!of!Hispanic,!Haitian!and!other!Caribbean!heritages.!!In!addition!to!the!existing!systemic!prejudices!against!their!color!and!nationalities,!undocumented!immigrants!can!find!minor!offenses!quickly!escalating!into!serious!crimes!that!warrant!deportation.!For!example,!crossing!the!U.S.!border!illegally!is!considered!a!civil!offense,!

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carrying!the!same!penalties!as!a!traffic!violation.!Crossing!a!second!time!after!deportation!is!a!chargeable!felony.!!!!Another!example!of!the!dangers!undocumented!immigrants!face!in!criminal!courts!is!traffic!violations.!Undocumented!immigrants!are!typically!not!permitted!to!obtain!a!driver’s!license.!Driving!without!a!license!in!New!York!State!is!a!misdemeanor!subject!to!fines!and!a!15Uday!jail!term.!Immigrants!fearing!that!ICE!agents!may!be!present!at!a!court!–!which!is!their!practice!–!often!fail!to!appear!to!answer!their!charge!of!driving!without!a!license,!thereby!possibly!increasing!the!penalties!and!even!the!charges.!!!The(Trump(Executive(Orders,(“Chargeable”(Criminal(Offenses(and(Deportation(!The!immigration!executive!orders!issued!by!President!Trump!earlier!in!January!have!significantly!added!to!the!burdens!undocumented!immigrants!face!in!U.S.!criminal!courts.!For!example,!filing!a!fake!Social!Security!number!to!secure!employment,!which!many!undocumented!immigrants!do,!could!now!lead!to!a!deportation!under!the!January!Trump!executive!orders!since!people!are!now!considered!a!priority!for!deportation!if!they!engage!in:!

! !!“fraud!or!willful!misrepresentation!in!connection!with!any!official!matter!or!application!before!a!government!agency.”4!!

The!Obama!Administration!considered!convicted!felons!to!be!priorities!for!deportation.!The!Trump!Administration!has!gone!beyond!this!with!its!executive!orders,!prioritizing!for!deportation!of!“anyone!who!has!‘committed!acts!that!constitute!a!chargeable!criminal!offense,’!meaning!anyone!the!authorities!believe!has!broken!any!type!of!law!–!regardless!of!whether!that!person!has!been!charged!with!a!crime.”5!!Thus,!a!criminal!justice!system!already!riven!with!biases!against!people!of!color!and!poor!people!has!now!become!an!even!more!perilous!venue!for!undocumented!immigrants.!!Plea(Bargaining(and(Deportation((An!undocumented!immigrant!facing!criminal!charges!is!entitled!to!an!attorney.!Very!often,!attorneys!will!counsel!their!clients!to!plea!bargain,!admitting!guilt!in!return!for!accepting!a!lesser!penalty.!When!a!defendant!accepts!a!guilty!plea,!he!or!she!waives!certain!basic!due!process!rights!such!as!the!right!to!remain!silent!and!not!incriminate!oneself.!For!undocumented!immigrants,!bargaining!that!results!in!a!guilty!plea!can!also!result!in!deportation!since!certain!guilty!pleas!can!lead!to!the!revocation!of!immigration!status!such!as!a!Green!Card!or!Temporary!Protected!Status.!Adding!to!the!peril!is!the!fact!that!the!Obama!Administration!did!not!permit!ICE!agents!to!be!present!at!criminal!hearings!while!the!Trump!Administration!may!allow!their!presence.!!!(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4!Medina,!Jennifer.!“Order!Expands!Authority!to!Deport,”!New!York!Times,!January!28,!2017.!5!Ibid.!

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Accompanying(Undocumented(Immigrants(to(Criminal(Court(–(Best(Practices(!It!has!been!standard!ICE!practice!to!arrest!undocumented!immigrants!as!they!travel!to!or!from!court.!The!presence!of!a!Witness!travelling!to!and!from!court!with!an!undocumented!Friend!can!be!a!deterrent!to!an!ICE!arrest.!The!presence!of!a!Witness!can!also!be!critical!during!arraignment!when,!before!a!judge!decides!on!releasing!a!defendant!on!his!or!her!own!recognizance,!the!judge!asks!if!there!is!anyone!present!in!the!court!who!will!support!this!defendant.!One!or!more!Witnesses!willing!to!provide!support!can!influence!the!judge’s!decision.!Witnesses!can!also!encourage!their!Friend!to!be!open!and!honest!with!the!attorney.!!Simple!tips!such!as!making!sure!the!Friend!has!his!or!her!attorney’s!name!and!telephone!number!are!essential.!Witnesses!must,!however,!respect!the!fact!that!any!conversation!between!the!attorney!and!Friend!is!privileged!and!therefore!confidential.!Witnesses!should!not!participate!in!these!conversations.!All!of!the!other!best!practices!for!Witnesses!outlined!above!apply!to!Criminal!Court!appearances.!!